Lighted control console with information center

ABSTRACT

An appliance control console having a hollow housing with a front control panel. An electrical lamp is located above the control panel for illuminating the panel. A combined lamp shield and information center is assembled over the lamp so the lamp is hidden from view. A front wall of the lamp shield is at least partially translucent, and it is imprinted with operating instructions which are capable of being illuminated by the lamp. A movable cover plate is provided to cover the lamp shield and its operating instructions, and this conver plate may be raised to expose the lamp shield and the operating instructions carried thereby.

nited States Patent [191 Binzer LIGHTED CONTROL CONSOLE WITH INFORMATION CENTER [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: Nov. 1, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 302,773

Thomas J. Binzer, Louisville, Ky.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1952 Crawford 240/2 PA 5/1953 Levy 6/1955 Chadwick et al 240/2 PA Sheeley 240/2 R Erickson 40/ 124.1

Primary Examiner-Fred L. Braun Attorney-Richard L. Caslin et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT An appliance control console having a hollow housing with a front control panel. An electrical lamp is located above the control panel for illuminating the panel. A combined lamp shield and information'center is assembled over the lamp so the lamp is hidden from view. A front wall of the lamp shield is at least partially translucent, and it is imprinted with operating instructions which are capable of being illuminated by the lamp. A movable cover plate is provided to cover the lamp shield and its operating instructions, and this conver plate may be raised to expose the lamp shield and the operating instructions carried thereby.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LIGHTED CONTROL CONSOLE WITH INFORMATION CENTER CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is related to application Ser. No. 302,658 entitled LIGHTED CONTROL CONSOLE WITH LIFT-UP INFORMATION PLATE of Thomas .I. Binzer and Peter H. Wooding, which has been filed concurrently herewith.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a control console or backsplash for a major appliance such as an electric or gas free-standing range or an automatic clothes washer or dryer and possibly automatic dishwashers and the like. As technology improves each year, these improvements are designed into our labor-saving appliances, and the typical appliance manufacturer will provide the consumer with a variety of options ranging from the bottom of the line model which is a simple functional design, and gradually adding operational and appearance design features into various step-up models until reaching the top end of the line model which would include the largest number of features and the most pleasing appearance design. One disadvantage experienced with owning a major appliance with many operational features is the amount of knowledge and skill needed to understand and control the features to obtain the maximum benefit. Of course, every appliance is furnished with a Use and Care Book which explains the purpose of and the method of using the various features of the appliance. However, the average person does not wish to read a long treatise on unfamiliar subjects in order to be qualified to operate an appliance or an automobile or an office machine or the like. Preferably the appliance will have simple control means which are provided with limited operating information associated therewith such that it will not be necessary to take a course in how to operatethe appliance before it can be put into operation. The primary reason for theUse and Care Book is to have a ready source of information available for answering questions that the user might have after the appliance has been operated for some time in order to gain the maximum benefit. One inherent difficulty with the average Use and Care Book is that it is small in size and easy to misplace, such that it is rarely available in the average household during the entire life of the appliance, which may in many cases extend from to years.

Some of the operating information that is needed almost every time the appliance is used is traditionally placed beside the particular control device. There is another category of information which is needed only on rare occasions, and this type of information is usually rather extensive in scope and detail. Accordingly, it is the intention of the present invention to separate the control information into two categories and isolate the control information which is used on rare occasions such that it is hidden when such information is not needed, and it can be exposed and illuminated when it is needed for maximum benefit to the user.

One example in the prior art of an attempt to solve this problem by using a lift-up information plate which in one position is out of sight and in another position is elevated into view is shown in C. E. Ericksons US. Pat. No. 3,636,645, which is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This Erickson patent shows a backsplash or control console with a hinged information plate mounted on the top surface of the control console such that in one position the panel is lowered to rest upon a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top surface of the console, such that information marked on the top of the plate is hidden from view. In an alternate position of the information plate, the plate is pivoted upwardly so that the plate moves forwardly and into a vertical position where its information may be read with ease.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a lighted control console or backsplash with a combined light shield and information panel that is provided with a movable cover plate to hide the information panel in one position of the cover plate and to expose the information panel in a second position of the cover plate such that the information is illuminated from a source of light of the console.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a control console of the class described with a lamp shield to hide the lamp of the console from view, where at least a front portion of the wall of the lamp shield is of translucent material so as to direct light rays from the lamp onto the operating instructions of the lamp shield.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lighted control console of the class described wherein the lamp shield is both easily fastened and easily removed from the console.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in accordance with one form thereof, relates to a control console or backsplash comprising a hollow housing that is adapted to enclose a plurality of control components. The front wall of the housing serves as a control panel in which is mounted the manually settable means and at least some of the operating instructions for the control components. An electrical lamp means is mounted above the control panel, and a lamp shield is easily fastened over the lamp means to hide it from view. At least a portion of the front wall of the lamp shield is of translucent material on which is imprinted operating instructions that are capable of being illuminated by the lamp means. A movable cover plate is supported from the housing in either a first lowered position superimposed over the lamp shield or a second raised position which exposes the lamp shield for illumination of the operating instructions thereon by the lamp means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the top portion of an electric range showing a horizontal cooktop and a control console or backsplash located at the rear of the cooktop and rising ithereabove, as well the overlying lamp shield and the hinged cover plate that remains in its raised position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevational view similar to that of FIG. 2, the main difference being that the hinged cover plate has been lowered to cover the lamp shield thereby hiding the operating instructions from view when they are not needed so as to simplify the appearance of the console.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to a consideration of the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown the upper portion of a free-standing electric range which has a horizontal cooktop 12 that includes a plurality of surface heating units 14. The oven that would be located beneath the cooktop 12 is not shown since the present invention centers around the nature of a control console 16 or backsplash which is arranged along the back edge of the cooktop 12 as is conventional in many major appliances that are usable within the home. Generally speaking the control console 16 is a hollow box-like housing 18 formed of sheet metal that extends for the complete width of the appliance; in this case an electric range.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention the front face of the console housing 18 forms a control panel 20 in which is supported a series of manually settable control means such as control knob 54 that is mounted on a shaft 24 of a typical control component 26 such as a lamp switch as shown in FIG. 2, but it could be a multiple selector switch, an oven thermostat, an oven clock timer, or selector switches for the surface heating units and the like. In this particular example the face of the control panel 20 has been enhanced by the inclusion of a large size crystal 28 that is substantially coextensive with the control panel 20. Frequently this crystal 28 is provided with a decorative finish on its rear surface of suitable paint or metallic film so as to render the crystal opaque while at the same time creating a glossy finish on its front side which provides an attractive appearance. In this particular example the control panel 20 and its crystal 28 are slightly inclined rearwardly from bottom to top so that they are generally perpendicular to the line of sight of a person standing adjacent the front of the appliance.

It should be noted in FIG. 1 that most of the control knobs are provided with associated indicia, and the same may be true of the crystal 28 in the area surrounding the knobs. This indicia or operating information is made very brief to convey the necessary message to the user without being confusing or complex. For example, the knob 32 at the left side of the control console 16 is depicted as an Oven Selector switch for setting up the desired heating functions; namely, BAKE, TIME BAKE, BROIL and finally a CLEAN position. Immediatley beneath the selector switch 32 is an Oven Thermostat illustrated by knob 34 which is capable of selecting a predetermined maximum oven temperature within the oven cavity. Reading from left to right, the next knob 36 is part of an Oven Timer and it is a Start Switch which sets the starting time for a Timed Bake cycle. The next knob 38 is for a Stop Switch of the Oven Timer which sets the time that the timer will shut off the oven heating elements. Next is an Electric Clock 40 for indicating the time of day. Next there is a Meat Thermometer dial 42 and its control knob 44 for setting a predetermined maximum temperature such that when the said internal meat temperature reaches the predetermined temperature the oven heating elements will be de-energized. The next four knobs 46, 48, 50 and 52 are arranged in a cluster, and they are infinite heat switches for governing the four electric surface heating units 14. One of these switches is also an automatic surface unit control for setting a predetermined maximum temperature at which temperature the heating unit will cycle thereby holding a predetermined maximum. Next is a lamp switch 54 for controlling a lamp that is built into the control console 18. The control console 18 may include a grounded convenience outlet 58 as is conventional for plugging in small electrical appliances such as coffee percolators, electric toasters, electric mixers, electric cutting knives, etc.

These various control means 32-56 are not described here as being of a critical arrangement in the practice of the present invention, but they are merely discussed in brief detail to give some background environment in which the present invention functions. Of course, these control components would be entirely different if the appliance 10 were an automatic clothes washer or a clothes dryer or an automatic dishwasher or a photocopy machine or the like.

Now looking at FIG. 2, a fluorescent lamp 60 is located at the top of the console housing 18 to substantially overlie the top edge of the crystal 28 of the control panel 20 for the complete length thereof. While a single lamp 45 is traditionally used, it will be understood by those skilled in this art that a plurality of incandescent lamps could be used, or other lighting alternatives are available. At each end of the lamp 60 is a fluorescent lampholder 62, and this lampholder is mounted on a bracket member 64 that is supported within the housing 18. It is highly desirable that this lamp 60 be recessed or hidden within the console housing such that it is not visible, and it furnishes indirect lighting to the control panel 28 and the cooktop 12 without temporatily blinding the user.

An elongated lamp shield 66 of generally channel shaped configuration is positioned over the lamp 16 to closely overlie the same. This lamp shield 66 has a horizontal top wall 68, a slightly inclined front wall 70 and a downwardly inclined bottom wall 72. This lamp shield is preferably formed of an extruded plastic material of high impact and mechanical strength such as Lexan material which is a registered trademark of the present assignee for a polycarbonate resin which may be translucent. Preferably the bottom wall 72 of the shield will be translucent so that when the lamp 60 is energized light rays will flood the control panel 28 and the cooktop 12. The front wall 70 of the lamp shield will be imprinted with operating instructions such as are seen at the top of FIG. 1, such that when the lamp 60 is energized these operating instructions will stand out and be readily discernible. This front wall 70 may be of translucent material and the operating instructions may be formed by dark letters such that when the translucent material is lighted the dark letters will stand out. The reverse action is also effective; namely, to form the letters of the operating instructions of translucent material and darkening the remainder of the front wall 70 such that when the lamp 60 is energized the letters alone will be lighted. In any event the front wall 70 of the lamp shield 66 should have some translucent capability in order to illuminate the operating instructions on the front wall when the lamp 60 is energized. The top wall 68 is preferably opaque, although it also may be translucent.

It is preferable to support the lamp shield 66 with a simple fastening means that is reliable and durable, while at the same time being releasable so that the lamp shield may be removed for replacing the fluorescent lamp 60 or cleaning in and around the lamp compartment as the need should arise. Rather than using fastening screws which are acceptable under certain circumstances, l have chosen as my preferred embodiment a snap-in pin and groove combination 75 which is located at the juncture of the top wall 68 and the front wall 70 of the lamp shield 66. The interior of the extruded lamp shield 66 is provided with a narrow groove 77 that is created by formation of a slight elongated flange 79 which closely parallels the underside of the top wall 68. Now comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, it should be understood that the console housing 18 is formed with opposite end caps 81 which close the ends of the housing and encompass the control panel and crystal 28 as well as the fluorescent lamp 60 and its lampholders 62 as well as the lamp shield 66 and the top formation of the console to give a finished construction. A slight stub pin 83 is formed on the inner side of each end cap 81 adjacent the front top corner. These stub pins are in alignment with each other and form support means over which the groove 77 is snapped so that the pins become confined within the groove and serve as a releasable fastening means with a mating snap fastening capability.

In addition to the lamp shield 66, there is also a movable cover plate 87 that is hinged to the opposite end caps 81 and it is substantially coextensive with the lamp shield 66 when the cover plate is in its down position as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The hinge axis of the cover plate closely parallels the back edge of the top wall 68 of the lamp shield 66. This movable cover plate 87 has a top wall 89 and a downwardly inclined front wall 91 which closely parallels the front wall 70 of the lamp shield 66 when the cover plate is in its down position. In other words, the cover plate 87 is of angular transverse configuration which does not overlie the translucent bottom wall 72 of the lamp shield. Thus, it is possible for the user to energize the lamp 60 and illuminate the control panel 20 and cooktop 12 without movement of the cover plate 87 or referral to the operating instructions imprinted on the front wall 70 of the lamp shield. If further instructions are needed for subsequent operation of the appliance, the user would pivot the cover plate 87 back to its generally vertical position as shown in FIG. 2 thereby allowing the light rays from the lamp 60 to penetrate the translucent portions of the front wall 70 and outline the indicia thereon for increased legibility.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art, therefore, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that it is intended to cover all'modifications and their equivalents which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A control console for an appliance comprising a housing enclosing a plurality of control components, a front wall of the housing being a control panel in which is mounted certain manual control means for the control components, electrical lamp means located above the control panel for illuminating the control panel when the lamp means is energized, a lamp shield assembled over the lamp means to hide the lamp means from sight, and releasable means for supporting the lamp shield in place, at least a portion of the front wall of the lamp shield being translucent, and operating instructions imprinted on the front wall of the lamp shield and capable of being illuminated by the lamp means, and a movable cover plate of angular transverse configuration arranged in either a first generally horizontal position to overlie the lamp shield or in a second generally vertical position for uncovering the lamp shield and exposing the operating instructions carried thereby.

2. A control console as recited in claim 1 wherein the said lamp shield is an extruded plastic member of channel shaped configuration with a generally horizontal top wall and a generally vertical front wall and a generally horizontal bottom wall, the lamp shield being held in place by said releasable means having a mating snap fastening capability.

3. A control console as recited in claim 1 wherein the said lamp shield is a molded plastic member of generally channel shaped configuration that closely overlies the lamp means, the control console including end caps which encompass the said control panel, the lamp means and the lamp shield in side view, the inner surface of each end cap including a stub pin adjacent the front top corner facing each other, the lamp shield including a groove on its inner side that is capable of being press fit over the said pins for serving as the said releasable means for supporting the lamp shield in place.

4. A control console that is arranged along the back of a major appliance and comprises a hollow housing enclosing a plurality of. control components, a front wall of the housing serving as a control panel in which is mounted manual settable means an operating instructions for the control components, electrical lamp means mounted above the control panel, a lamp shield fastened over the lamp means to hide the lamp means from sight and additional operating instructions imprinted on a front wall of the lamp shield which wall is at least partially translucent and capable of being illuminated by the lamp means, and a movable cover plate of angular transverse configuration capable of being arranged in either a first generally horizontal position to overlie the lamp shield or in a second generally vertical position for uncovering the lamp shield and exposing the operating instructions carried thereby.

5. A control console as recited in claim 4 wherein the said console housing is provided with end caps that encompass the said control panel, the lamp means, the lamp shield, and the movable cover plate, the said lamp shield being of generally channel shaped configuration that closely overlies the lamp means, and releasable fastening means joining the lamp shield to the end caps, and hinge means joining the said movable cover plate to the end caps. 

1. A control console for an appliance comprising a housing enclosing a plurality of control components, a front wall of the housing being a control panel in which is mounted certain manual control means for the control components, electrical lamp means located above the control panel for illuminating the control panel when the lamp means is energized, a lamp shield assembled over the lamp means to hide the lamp means from sight, and releasable means for supporting the lamp shield in place, at least a portion of the front wall of the lamp shield being translucent, and operating instructions imprinted on the front wall of the lamp shield and capable of being illuminated by the lamp means, and a movable cover plate of angular transverse configuration arranged in either a first generally horizontal position to overlie the lamp shield or in a second generally vertical position for uncovering the lamp shield and exposing the operating instructions carried thereby.
 2. A control console as recited in claim 1 wherein the said lamp shield is an extruded plastic member of channel shaped configuration with a generally horizontal top wall and a generally vertical front wall and a generally horizontal bottom wall, the lamp shield being held in place by said releasable means having a mating snap fastening capability.
 3. A control console as recited in claim 1 wherein the said lamp shield is a molded plastic member of generally channel shaped configuration that closely overlies the lamp means, the control console including end caps which encompass the said control panel, the lamp means and the lamp shield in side view, the inner surface of each end cap including a stub pin adjacent the front top corner facing each other, the lamp shield including a groove on its inner side that is capable of being Press fit over the said pins for serving as the said releasable means for supporting the lamp shield in place.
 4. A control console that is arranged along the back of a major appliance and comprises a hollow housing enclosing a plurality of control components, a front wall of the housing serving as a control panel in which is mounted manual settable means an operating instructions for the control components, electrical lamp means mounted above the control panel, a lamp shield fastened over the lamp means to hide the lamp means from sight and additional operating instructions imprinted on a front wall of the lamp shield which wall is at least partially translucent and capable of being illuminated by the lamp means, and a movable cover plate of angular transverse configuration capable of being arranged in either a first generally horizontal position to overlie the lamp shield or in a second generally vertical position for uncovering the lamp shield and exposing the operating instructions carried thereby.
 5. A control console as recited in claim 4 wherein the said console housing is provided with end caps that encompass the said control panel, the lamp means, the lamp shield, and the movable cover plate, the said lamp shield being of generally channel shaped configuration that closely overlies the lamp means, and releasable fastening means joining the lamp shield to the end caps, and hinge means joining the said movable cover plate to the end caps. 